MEET THE 'J'

A lot of people ask what the ‘J’ stands for? It’s an easy answer – Jonathan. Who is he? Well, besides being my husband (in case you hadn’t quite realised, The Farmer’s Wife is a real person, not just some genius fictional branding exercise – right, back to Jonathan), he is the founder and CEO of Farmer J….Here is what he said when I asked him to explain his love of food & why he started Farmer J:

“My love of cooking (and eating), started early.Happily enslaved as my mother’s sous-chef, I watched in awe, as she flew from stove to counter to fridge, slicing vegetables, basting chicken and whisking tahini – flawlessly serving up magical spreads. Growing up in Tel Aviv furthered this love, as I was spoilt by the richest produce and melting pot of Mediterranean tastes.

From Israel I moved to Lausanne to study Hospitality Management. Here I learnt about the industry and for the first time experienced overpriced, unhealthy, insipid restaurants. There is only so much cheese a man can eat! I then moved to London to work in finance where I spent three years, eating three meals a day, at my desk.

Here, as a consumer, I began to question London’s ‘fast food’ offering. How was it possible that the metropolitan city of London had nothing better to offer? Colourless, flavourless, anemic looking sandwiches and salads, labelled as ‘fresh’ and ‘natural’ yet all packaged and made in a central kitchen the day before. No one who has grown up in the Mediterranean Middle East can live without the colours, textures and tastes of home – hence, something had to be done.

I started Farmer J to bridge the gap. A place for people to grab an honest, fresh, tasty, healthy meal. Serving seasonal food, sustainably sourced, that is cooked on site, from scratch, yet still doesn’t break the bank. Mealtime is our only break during the day and for most people, it doesn’t last long, therefore I want to ensure that break is lived to the fullest. My goal is to reinvent the fast food wheel, building a brand that coincides with the growing awareness of healthy eating, yet still remains fun, and most importantly, still tastes good!”